Starship Rangers
by Kiuan
Summary: The Starship Rangers haven't faced any challenge too difficult since their adventure with Bug. Now, something is stirring. They'll need to recruit new Rangers, restore old alliances, and discover a dark and sinister plot that could tear the galaxies apart
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a fanfic based off of Team StarKid's musical, Starship. This fanfic takes place after the end of the show, as a continuation.** **I do not own any of these characters except for the recruits, and any and all credit goes to the StarKids themselves.**

"Late! Every damn one of dem! I get my ass up at 5:30 dis morning, and dey're late!" The short, spiky-haired young woman was fuming. Her thick, almost Columbian-sounding accent coupled with the speed at which she spoke made it nearly impossible to decipher what she was saying. Commander Up, however, was used to his friend's temper.

"Now you just calm yourself down, Taz. Those young whippersnappers'll be here in no time."

"No time? Dey should've been here forty minutes ago! Dere's no excuse for that! I'll grab them by the ears and rip them clean off, and-"

"If you can even reach their ears without a stepladder."

Taz glared with utter loathing at the pure white, very human-looking robot that had entered the room, arm-in-arm with a homely country boy.

"Yah? How about I just shoot you through de head now, eh? Don't need a stepladder for dat!"

"Aw, c'mon Taz. Leave Mega-Girl alone. She was just playin' with ya." the man whose arm was linked with the robot's said with his usual Southern drawl. A stupid grin was plastered on his face, as always, and he leaned over and planted a kiss on the robot's cheek.

"Yes, Taz. You would not upset Tootsie by shooting the love of his life, would you?" she smirked at Taz, who lunged toward her. Up held her back, even as she struggled against his grip. Finally she stopped squirming and Up let her go.

"Filthy piece of junk," she muttered under her breath. Tootsie smiled at the group.

"See, it ain't that hard t' get along. Now, where're those recruits that were s'pposed to come fer trainin' today?"

"We were just asking de same thing! Dey should've been here over an hour ago!"

"They cannot enter the ship if the door is sealed shut," Mega-Girl stated matter-of-factly in her clipped, metallic voice.

"We're not stupid, you tin can. Up opened de airlock an hour ago."

"I did?"

"You didn't? Up!"

"I didn't know you were talking to me!"

"No one else was in de room! Who else could I possibly have been talking to?"

Up scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Um…"

Taz sighed waved him off.

"Just go do it now." As Up hurried off to carry out her order, she turned to Tootsie.

"Where are Krayonder and Specs?"

"Specs was testin' some equipment and Krayonder was checkin' out her rear end last we saw 'em."

Taz wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Krayonder's a pig."

"As are all humans," Mega-Girl added. Tootsie was offended.

"Mega-Girl!"

"Except for you, Tootsie. You are special."

"Excuse me while I go puke my guts out. Too much lovey-dovey stuff around dis place, jeeze." Taz strode off quickly, eager to get as far away from the couple as possible.

* * *

"No, Krayonder, I will not let you 'hit this'."

"But _why_?"

Specs sighed and removed her thick, round-rimmed glasses. She pulled out a light blue cloth and proceeded to clean off the lenses as she continued down the hall. Krayonder tagged doggedly along behind her.

"Krayonder, we have work to do. We should've been at the airlock 23 minutes and 17.739 seconds ago. Those recruits are coming today."

"Yeah, but like, a lot of 'em will be dudes. They'll understand that a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do!"

"_No_. We're late. We don't have time for this now."

The sandy-haired young man perked up noticeably.

"Now? Well, what about later?"

Specs shook her head. There was no use arguing with him. He was persistent if nothing else. Krayonder grinned.

"So, like, I'm gonna take that as a yes!" he fist pumped in victory. Specs smiled to herself, but quickly wiped the expression from her face. If Krayonder saw, she'd never hear the end of it. The pair entered the loading dock to see Tootsie and Mega-girl kissing passionately.

"Yeah, Tootsie! Get some!" Krayonder hooted.

Specs elbowed him in the stomach.

"Ow!"

Tootsie and Mega-Girl pulled apart. Tootsie flushed a deep scarlet and smiled abashedly. Mega-Girl didn't seem to be embarrassed in the least.

"Me an' Mega-Girl was just… Uh… Y'see-"

"It's cool, man. Don't worry about it," Krayonder gasped, clutching his stomach.

* * *

The group of recruits lay sprawled out across the field in front of the ship's airlock doors. They'd been waiting for the better part of two hours, and the doors had remained sealed shut. Fortunately, the weather was nice. The grassy field was soft and luscious, the two suns warmed them all with their soft glow, and a faint breeze was blowing. Several recruits had given up after the first hour and left. Riker Gordon was not one of them. He had the utmost faith in the Starship Rangers, and he knew they wouldn't let them down. He wondered if they had kept the doors shut on purpose, to test the recruits and see which were most patient. That had to be it. But now, near the end of the second hour, he began to feel a prick of uncertainty. How long would they have to wait out here? Had the Rangers possibly… _forgotten_ about them? Just then, the airlock doors slid open with a faint hiss. A cheer went up from the remaining recruits as a man in his early thirties stepped out of the ship and onto the ramp that lead into it. He had peppered gray hair and a mustache that Riker would've recognized anywhere. Commander Up, leader of the Starship Rangers. The recruits quickly got to their feet and filed into line in front of the Commander. Up frowned, puzzled.

"Er, what're you young 'uns doing there?"

"Um, respecting you, sir," one boy piped up. Up blinked in surprise.

"Oh, erm, right! Well, c'mon in, recruits!" Riker's heart began to pound. He was about to step foot inside a real Starship, with real, living, breathing Starship Rangers. The recruits glanced at each other, silently asking who would go first. Up raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Well?"

Riker took a deep breath and stepped forward. The three steps between where he stood and the ramp felt like miles. And then, he was there, at the top of the ramp. Up clapped him on the shoulder.

"'Atta boy, takin' charge, plunging headfirst into the mission. Good stuff, good stuff." Riker nodded and dipped his head to the man he'd always dreamed of meeting.

"Thank- thank you, sir."

Two steps later, he was inside the ship. Within minutes all the recruits were gathered, and Up sealed the doors behind them. He led them down several halls and into the loading dock, where the rest of the Rangers were waiting. The recruits lined up for their first briefing. Up took his place beside Taz. Riker had heard all about her, everyone had. She was a hero from the Robot Wars, and her fighting skills were feared throughout the galaxies. But she was quite different than he'd imagined. She couldn't have been much more than five feet tall, with spiky black hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a white tanktop with camo cargo shorts and black combat boots, and of course, her trademark red bandana worn like a sweatband. The other Rangers all wore their uniforms.

"Recruits, welcome."

"Aye. So we're stuck with you lot, eh? Y' don't look like much."

"Taz!"

"Que?"

"Play nice," Up scolded. Taz scowled.

"Fine. I'm Taz, Commander Up's second-in-command. I'll be responsible for your combat and weapons training. I'll let de rest of de team introduce demselves."

"Mega-Girl, replacement Science Officer."

"I'm Tootsie, and I don't have no official title or nothin'."

"I'm Specs, and I'm responsible for all the non-weapon equipment you'll be using."

"An' I'm Krayonder, dudes. I'm just here for strength and man power."

Riker looked Krayonder over skeptically. He didn't look like much. The way Specs rolled her eyes as he spoke confirmed his impression. Taz stepped forward and spoke again.

"You'll start training immediately. Uniforms are in de bunks. Bunks are separated by gender, and _will _stay dat way." She stared pointedly at Krayonder, who held up his palms innocently.

"You're all to be right back here in exactly 30 minutes. Recruits, dismissed."

The recruits filed off to the bunks, Krayonder leading the guys down the hall that led off to the left, and Specs leading the girls the opposite direction. Taz crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Dey won't last. I'd say tree of them might survive training, tops."

"C'mon, Taz. Give 'em a chance. They may surprise you!"

"Yah, well, I'm not counting on dat."

"That is probably what your mentor said about you when you were a recruit, dwarf," Mega-Girl remarked.

"And your creator probably said-"

"Okay, I think we'll be leaving now," Up interjected, steering Taz out of the room despite her protests.

"C'mon, Up, I had a phenomenal comeback for dat one!"  
"Well, save it for next time. I think we can count on the fact that there'll be a next time, with you two always goin' at each other."

Taz smiled wryly.  
"True dat."

**Next Chapter: When training begins with the hard-core Taz, the recruits will have to struggle to survive both the challenges she sets in front of them and her razor-sharp personality. And some of them may begin to wonder; what exactly is it they've been recruited for? Are the Starship Rangers, defenders and warriors of space, hiding something? **


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a fanfic based off of Team StarKid's musical, Starship. This fanfic takes place after the end of the show, as a continuation.** **I do not own any of these characters except for the recruits, and any and all credit goes to the StarKids themselves. Thanks, and please enjoy.**

Riker looked around nervously, hefting his zapper uncertainly. Thick mist swirled all around, and he couldn't see two inches in front of his face. He couldn't hear anything but his own breathing. The room was probably built specifically for this purpose, and the acoustics were supposed to suck. Taz hadn't actually told them what to do; she'd locked them all in the room, it had become pitch black and jets inside the walls had oozed fog. Shortly after, the door opened again for a brief moment before sliding shut again, and they were plunged back into pitch darkness. The recruits had all started together, but they had drifted apart without realizing it. One minute they were all together, and the next, Riker was alone. Riker swallowed and tried to calm his racing heart. This must be a pretest of some sort, to evaluate their survival skills. Unfortunately, he didn't know what it was he was supposed to survive. But the Rangers wouldn't _actually_ put the recruits' lives in danger.

Would they?

At that moment, something grabbed his ankle and yanked, pulling his leg out from under him. He hit the floor hard with a dull, muted _thud_. Something whizzed over his head the second he dropped, grazing the top of his head. He turned over his shoulder to see what had brought him down. It was too dark to make out any features, but he could just barely make out the outline of whoever-or _what_ever- it was. It crawled toward him and tugged on his shirt sleeve, indicating that he should follow. It crept forward, farther into the mist. Riker followed right behind as they slithered across the floor. The shape in front of him stopped suddenly, and he crashed into it. He was grabbed by the arm and pulled to his feet. His companion took him by the hand and pressed it against a flat surface an inch away. They'd reached the wall. Riker didn't know how they'd managed it. The room, based on what he'd seen before the lights went out and the fog came in, was round and at least the size of two football fields. Yet, there they were. Then, he understood the plan. They were trying to find the door. They inched along the wall slowly, feeling for any irregularity that might be a door handle. Riker's hand brushed something cold, and he grabbed the figure's wrist and brought its hand to the piece. It crouched down, tugging Riker's pant leg. He crouched down as well.

"The second the door opens, run."

The words were barely audible, more a breath than a whisper, but he heard them. There was a moment's hesitation, and then he was blinded by a light so bright his eyes burned. He squeezed his eyes shut and ran forward.

Straight into the wall.

"Ow!"

"Seriously?"

He was hauled to his feet and pulled out into the light. He opened his eyes and rubbed his forehead, which was stinging from its encounter with the wall. Standing across from him, arms crossed, was his previously unseen companion. She, like all the recruits, wore khaki cargo shorts and a navy blue t-shirt with 'IN TRAINING' printed in large yellow letters across the front. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and a few strands fell into her face. She had the most brilliant, emerald green eyes Riker had ever seen.

"My bad," he winced. "Am I… am I bleeding?"

He touched his hand to the spot on his forehead where he'd hit the wall hardest, right above his right eye. When he pulled his hand away, there was blood on his fingers.

The girl nodded.

"It would seem that way, Captain Coordination. C'mon, let's go clean that up."

"But- what about Taz?"  
"What about her?"

"She'll probably, like, shoot us for leaving."

"Dat's right, I probably will."

Riker whirled around to see Taz standing behind him. She eyed him closely before turning her gaze to the other girl and looking her over too.

"What're your names?"

"Uh, Riker. Riker Gordon."

"Xaria Nicholson."

Taz nodded slowly.

"Jou two were de only two to make it out alive."

The rest of the recruits staggered out of the room, one by one, dripping red blood. Riker's eyes widened in mortification.

"You _shot_ them?"

"Sí."

"With _bullets_?"

"Sí. Paintballs, technically, but sí."

Riker blew a sigh of relief. It was paint, not blood. Taz looked at him quizzically.

"I didn't shoot jou. Where'd dat come from?" She gestured to the gash on his forehead. Before he could make up a witty excuse, Xaria piped up.

"He ran into the wall."

Taz stared at him blankly. "Jou could make it outta dere with no training, and jou ran into de wall?"

"Well, not exactly. What happened was- yeah. Thanks for sharing, Xaria."

"Any time, bro."

Taz rolled her eyes and mumbled something in Spanish that Riker couldn't understand. She turned to the other recruits and picked out one dark-haired boy in particular. His shaggy hair fell into his blue-gray eyes, and his shirt was covered in red paint.

"Jou, go with Yiker and find Up."

Riker cleared his throat.

"Um, actually, it's Riker. Riker. With an R."

"Dat is what I said. Up will fix up Yiker's, eh, battle wound." She tried to stifle a smile as Riker stared indignantly at her. Behind him, Xaria snorted in amusement.

"De rest of jou can head back to de bunks. Yiker, get the hell outta here before jou bleed to death."

* * *

"Dude, how'd you get outta there?"

Riker and his escort were making their way toward Up's quarters, which were located on the complete opposite end of the ship from where the training session had been held.

"Xaria and I worked together. Right before she threw me under the bus with the whole running-into-the-wall thing."

"C'mon, man, she's a girl. What'd you expect?"

"Jeeze, sexist much?"

The dark-haired boy laughed.

"Nah, man. Just bad luck with chicks, y'know?"

"Uh, no, can't say that I do."

"Seriously? Hold the phone- you've never had a girlfriend, have you?"

"…No."

"Well that explains it, then! And is that by choice?"

Riker shifted uncomfortably.  
"Well, I wouldn't say that. It's just that I can't- that is, I- I don't know how. To talk to girls, that is." The other boy laughed and threw his arm around Riker's shoulders. "I'm Kelvin. I swear, by the time we're initiated as Rangers, you'll be a chick magnet. You an' me, bro, we're gonna be tight. Rad hair, by the way. Do you dye it? 'Cause it's like, crazy blonde. I knew this guy once who dyed his hair hot pink, but the dye was like, radioactive and turned his scalp green. Then all his hair fell out-"

Kelvin rambled on, and Riker smiled to himself. He had a feeling Kelvin was right; they'd get along just swimmingly.

* * *

"So what exactly happened, again?"  
"Riker got in a fight with the wall. The wall won."

Up rubbed his jaw.

"How's your vision, son? You ever considered contacts?"

"My vision's fine, Commander. It was pitch black and foggy, and the light came outta nowhere and blinded me."  
"Why was it so dark?"  
"Taz locked us in-"  
"Taz did what now?"

Riker patiently explained the setup for the third time.

"So she didn't teach you anything, an' she started shootin'?"  
"Yup," Kelvin answered cheerfully.

Up frowned and scratched the stubble on his chin.

"Hm. I s'ppose I'll have to talk to her about that. Can't have her scarin' away you recruits before-" he stopped mid-sentence. The two boys looked at him curiously.

"Before what?" Kelvin asked.

"Hm?"

"You were just about to say something."  
"No I wasn't."

"Uh, yeah, you were."  
"What?"

"Hm?"

"That doesn't-"

"Just-"

"I wasn't-"

"He-"

"_What_?"

* * *

Next thing they knew, the boys were back in the hall and the door to Up's room was sealed shut. The boys exchanged bewildered glances.

"Dude… what just happened?"  
"No idea."  
Kelvin chewed his lip thoughtfully.

"Y' think they're hiding something?"  
"Who, the Rangers? No, of course not! What would they possibly have to hide?

"Robots, clones, a shitload of money, weapons, alcohol, Pokemon cards… Ooh, or maybe they're not really the Starship Rangers! Maybe the real Rangers were kidnapped and their DNA was stolen and their captors-"  
"Really, Kelvin? Really?"

"Okay, so maybe not alcohol. Still, we should look into it."  
"Look into what? We don't actually know anything, except that Up didn't finish a sentence. That doesn't give us much to work with."  
"Yet. C'mon." Riker reluctantly followed Kelvin, already feeling a twinge of doubt in his gut. This was probably going to turn into a bad idea. A REALLY bad idea.

Unbeknownst to the two boys, they were being watched. Around the corner, the eavesdropper heard every word.

**Next Chapter: As Riker and Kelvin start to poke their noses in some of the wrong places, they're unaware of what they're getting themselves into. As they enlist the help of some of the other recruits, none of them know the danger they're about to run into. **


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a fanfic based off of Team StarKid's musical, Starship. This fanfic takes place after the end of the show, as a continuation.** **I do not own any of these characters except for the recruits, and any and all credit goes to the StarKids themselves.**

"Hey, Riker. Riker. Hey. Wake up," Kelvin whispered, shaking his friend roughly. No luck. Kelvin chewed his lip thoughtfully. He had to wake him quietly, so as not to disturb the others as well. The idea came to him, and he grabbed two pillows from his own bunk, the one directly above Riker's. He lay them end-to-end on the floor. He grabbed Riker by the pants with one hand and shirt collar with the other, and pulled him off the bunk, onto the pillows. The pillows muffled the sound and absorbed the impact. For the most part. Riker sat up as fast as if he'd just stuck his finger in an electrical socket. He looked like it, too. His white-blonde hair was ruffled and stuck up in every direction. He rubbed his eyes and blinked groggily at Kelvin.

"What th-"

Kelvin shot forward and covered Riker's mouth with his hand. Riker blinked in surprise and then nodded, indicating he understood the need for silence, and Kelvin pulled his hand away. He helped Riker to his feet, and the two boys silently made their way across the room. Kelvin stopped at the door.

"I already tried it," he whispered. "It's sealed."

"Where were you trying to go, and why were you going alone?" Riker asked, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at the analog clock that projected onto the far wall. The large, bright green numbers read '2:00 hrs'. He scowled at Kelvin "And if it's sealed, what was the purpose of waking me up at two in the morning?"

Kelvin ignored Riker's irritation and explained excitedly. "Don't you see? They've _gotta_ be hidin' somethin'! Why would they seal the door to the barracks during the night?"

"So we don't leave."

"Exactly. And why wouldn't they want us to leave?"

Riker counted off the reasons on his fingers.

"'Cause it's our first day and night on the ship, they don't know or trust us enough yet, they don't want us aimlessly wandering about at night, maybe some kids sleepwalk- I don't know! There are a million logical reasons for them to seal us in our first night."

Kelvin shook his head adamantly.

"No. No, they're hiding something."

"And what-"

"Too loud!" Kelvin whispered urgently. Riker hadn't realized his own whisper was rising in volume. He started again, much quieter this time.

"And what evidence do you have to support this, huh? " he hissed. "That Commander Up didn't finish a sentence? That's not evidence! I don't know if you're just desperate for an adventure or what, but you're forcing together puzzle pieces that don't fit. And you can't make a puzzle out of just two pieces."

Kelvin was taken aback by his friend's short, sharp tirade.

"Jeeze, Riker, I didn't mean to-"

"It's two in the morning, and I can't function right now. Luckily for you, I probably won't even remember we had this conversation. I suggest not bringing it up. Good night." he stalked back to the bunk and burrowed under the sheets.

* * *

"Alright, recruits. De Commander has… disagreed with my training methods, so jou're getting off easy today." Taz paced back and forth, eyeing the recruits disdainfully as she addressed them. Her face was set in a scowl, an expression not unusual for her. The conversation she'd had with Up the previous night rang in her ears.

_"Taz, you can't start shootin' at 'em the first day. They're just kids! You'll scare 'em away!"  
"Aye, I'll scare de weak ones away. Dey'll have to get used to being shot at, an' if dey don't like it dey can leave now."_

"_They need at least a few days to adjust."  
"What's dere to adjust to?"  
"Well, the environment. Y'know, livin' on the ship an' all."_

"_Up, we don't have time for dem to sit around an' adjust! You should know dat better dan anyone! We need to weed out de amateurs, find de ones with potential, and train dem!"  
"Just give 'em three days."  
"Absolutely not."  
__"Please, Taz?"  
"No. I don't… What is dat? Stop batting your eyes like dat! We can't… dere's no- one day. I'll give dem one day, and that's it."_

The recruits stood at attention as she looked them over. She stopped at the end of the line, in front of Kelvin, and faced them all.  
"Jou've got one day, and dat's all. Tomorrow training resumes, and I'll push jou twice as hard as I did yesterday. For today, wander about as jou please. Jou are to stay out of de Rangers' quarters, and I would strongly suggest jou not touch any equipment unless jou want some… unpleasant surprises." A smirk brushed her face momentarily, and the recruits shuddered as each imagined what the said surprises might be.  
"Other dan dat, jou have free reign. Dismissed." The recruits all saluted and began to disperse. "Blondie, try not to run into any walls dis time," Taz added, looking pointedly at Riker. Riker's cheeks flushed a deep pink as a collective snort of amusement went up from his fellow trainees. Kelvin laughed the loudest and clapped him on the back.  
"You're never gonna live that one down, bro."  
"Fantastic."

"C'mon, let's get outta here. We got a Starship to explore!" His blue-gray eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and Riker grinned in spite of himself. Kelvin's energy was contagious.

"Alright, let's do this!"

Kelvin whooped loudly and bounded down the hall. Riker smiled to himself and shook his head before racing after him. As soon as he was out of the doorway he crashed right into Kelvin, who pulled him around the corner and into a room that branched off from the hall.  
"What the hell, man?" Riker asked as Kelvin's fingers raced over the keypad, rapidly typing in numbers. The door slid shut, and Kelvin turned to face him. The excitement was still in his eyes, but they now twinkled with mischief.  
"Don't you see, Rike? This is the perfect time to find out what they're up to!"

"What who's up to?" Riker recognized the voice immediately. He groaned and turned to face Xaria, who was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed. Kelvin was staring at her curiously.  
"But…the door…I locked it… like, twenty seconds ago!"  
"And I unlocked it ten seconds ago."

"_How_?"  
"Doesn't matter. I overheard your conversation yesterday."  
"What conversation?" Kelvin asked innocently.

"The one where you suggested the Rangers were hiding something from us."  
"Oh. Yeah, that one."  
"Why are you here?" Riker asked suspiciously. He didn't like Xaria in the least, and that much was blatantly clear.  
"Still pouting about yesterday, I see," she said dryly.  
"Oh, you mean when you made me look like an idiot in front of Taz and everyone else that will now never take me seriously? No, why on earth would I be pissed about that?"

"Oh, grow a pair. " She looked to Kelvin. "I ask again, what're you up to? What evidence do you have?"  
"Not much," he admitted reluctantly. "The Commander said something along the lines of 'We can't have Taz scaring you guys away before-' and then he cut off and pushed us outta the room. And the doors to the bunks were sealed overnight. Seems weird that they'd lock us in, doesn't it?"  
"It does not seem unreasonable to me. In fact, it is completely logical."

Kelvin and Riker swallowed hard as they turned to face Mega-Girl. Xaria had paled noticeably.

"You three are rather curious. A little too curious. What ever shall we do with you?" Mega-Girl asked coldly.  
"How about nothing? Doing nothing would be great. Splendid, actually," Kelvin said meekly.  
"The question was rhetorical."  
"…Yeah. Yeah, I tried."

In one movement surprisingly swift for a robot, she lunged forward and grabbed both boys by the neck, tranquilizing them. She immediately dropped them, their bodies crumpling to the ground, and did the same to Xaria. None of them had even had time to react.

* * *

"Dey said what?"  
"I understand. Your tiny human brain is too insignificant to absorb what I said the first two times, and so I shall have to repeat it yet again."

Taz cocked her zapper and aimed it at Mega-Girl.  
"Jou watch jourself, toaster. Or maybe I shut jou down, and chop jou into tiny bits, and drop dem in de bathtub. And maybe dere will be piranhas in de water. And dey will eat jou up, and I will not have to listen to jour voice ever again. Jou like dat idea? I like dat idea."

Before Mega-Girl could make a sharp retort, Specs emerged from the room in front of which they stood.

"Well?" Taz demanded. Specs pushed her glasses up and made her report.  
"They've been given a heavy sedative, approximately 7.8934% more powerful than the one used on February when the robot left us stranded and almost got us all killed."  
Mega-Girl smirked in amusement at the memory, and Taz scowled at her.

"They won't wake for another six hours, at least. Oh, and there's a slight chance they may suffer some permanent brain damage."  
Taz considered this, silent for a moment.  
"Eh, I'm probably just going to kill dem anyway."

Specs saluted.  
"Well, Lieutenant, I've got atmospheric readings and extraterrestrial communication signals to interpret, so I'll be on my way. "  
"And I must go meet Tootsie for our date tonight."  
Taz nodded and waved them off.

"I'll take care of dese tree."  
They parted ways, Specs scurrying off to her lab and Mega-Girl gliding off to find her husband.

* * *

Half an hour later, Up passed through the hall. He stopped when he saw Taz sitting with her back to the door, zapper resting on her knees.

"Taz! Just the Ranger I was lookin' for!"  
"Qué?"

"Well, um, I was thinkin'- I mean, I thought maybe- If…. If you're not busy- Later we could- There's- Perhaps- that is, if-"

Taz raised an eyebrow as he scratched the back of his head, floundering to find his words.

"Up, what de hell are jou talkin' about?"

"Maybe we could watch a movie?"  
"I'm busy."  
"Oh." Up was crestfallen, but concealed it well enough. "Yeah, right. Um, well, maybe another time."

Taz watched him continue down the hall, his shoulders hunched forward in defeat. She felt a prick of an emotion she didn't recognize as he passed out of sight. She shook her head, but the feeling remained.

"De hell…?"  
Moments later, it was gone.

**Next Chapter: When Riker, Kelvin, and Xaria regain consciousness, they find themselves in a less than desirable situation; face-to-face with Taz and her best friends, her knife and zapper.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much to everyone reading this fanfic, and to everyone leaving reviews. Thank you for pointing out my errors; I've gone back through and changed what was pointed out to me. I can't thank you enough.**

**This is a fanfic based off of Team StarKid's musical, Starship. This fanfic takes place after the end of the show, as a continuation. I do not own any of these characters except for the recruits, and any and all credit goes to the StarKids themselves. Thanks, and please enjoy.**

"Friggin robot..." Kelvin croaked as he regained concsiousness. He blinked groggily and shook his head to clear his vision. He immediately wished he hadn't. At the opposite end of the room, arms crossed, stood Taz. The three recruits were all bound with steel cables. Their hands were tied behind their backs and their feet were bound together. They were lying on cold metal tables, much like those used in the infirmary. Kelvin struggled into a sitting position, unable to use his arms to push himself up. Soft moans came from the tables on either side of him as Xaria and Riker began to stir.

"Um, guys? We're in a weird situation..."

Taz slowly strode toward them as Riker and Xaria fully woke, they too struggling to sit up. Taz stopped a foot away and stared at the three of them. Her face was expressionless, and it was impossible to guess what was going through her head. Kelvin, however, had a pretty good idea of what it was.

"Please don't kill us."

In response, Taz drew her knife. Riker swallowed hard.

"Don't- don't blame them. It was me. I-I dragged them along."

"He's lying," Kelvin piped up "I was the one who suggested something was up."

Xaria snorted. "You two can't lie worth shit. I blackmailed them into helping me prove my theory."

Taz looked from Riker to Kelvin to Xaria, studying them carefully.

Without warning, she grabbed Kelvin by the front of his shirt and hauled him off the table. His arms and legs immobilized, the boy fell into a heap on the floor. Taz hauled him to his feet.

"Bullshit," she snapped "I know dis was jour idea. De tin can said so. I may hate dat thing more dan a chupacabra hates de sun, but she tells de truth." Kelvin looked down at his feet and gulped nervously. Taz lifted his chin with her knife, until he was looking her in the eyes. He could feel the prick of the tip of the blade, and a dribble of warm, sticky blood slid down his neck. Taz drew her blade away, and with a short, inarticulate shout, sliced downward. Riker and Xaria averted their eyes just in time, but they were unable to block out Kelvin's scream of agony. It trailed off, and they slowly lifted their eyes, expecting to see Kelvin's bloody body. Instead, the dark-haired boy stared in disbelief at the severed cables lying at his feet. Taz pulled the other two recruits from their tables and freed them as well. She sheathed her knife and faced them.

"De needs of de many bugs outweigh de few."

"Sorry… What?" Riker asked, rubbing his wrists to restore circulation.

"It's a saying on de Bug World. Jou tree are loyal to each other. But if one of jou had to give jour life for de greater good, jou would have to watch dem die."

"Charming," Xaria grimaced.

"Bug World…" Riker racked his brain, trying to recall where he'd heard the name before. "Wasn't- wasn't a Ranger from Bug World?"

"Sí, Bug. We lost our Schience Officer, February, to him."

"He killed her?" Kelvin asked, wide-eyed. Taz snorted.

"Hardly. Dey fell in love, and she stayed on Bug World with him."

"Why would two Starship Rangers live among bugs, instead of on a Starship with other Rangers?"

"If I recall," Xaria said slowly "Bug was an actual bug." Taz nodded.

"An' one of de finest Rangers I ever met in my life."

"Not to change the subject, but, um, what was the point of tranquilizing and almost killing us?" Riker asked.

"A test."

"A test? What, to see if we'd piss ourselves in the face of imminent death? 'Cause I may have failed that one," Kelvin offered cheerfully. Taz did not answer his question, but merely shouldered her zapper and beckoned for them to follow her. After sharing a quick glance, the trio complied and followed her from the room.

* * *

Commander Up was in the middle of watching _'She's All That'_ when there was a knock at the door. He quickly paused the movie and turned off the projector screen.

"It's open! C'mon in," he called. Taz entered and Up perked up noticeably.

"Taz! Didja come to watch a movie after all?"

"No."

Kelvin, Riker, and Xaria entered the room. Up blinked in surprise.

"Oh, um... What'd you do to 'em, Taz?"

"I didn't _do_ anything," she replied indignantly. "I'm recommending dem for Sector 326."

"Sector 326? Are you sure? They've only had one day of training, and one of 'em ran into a wall!"

"Okay, yeah, we keep throwing that around, but that's not really what happened," Riker protested. Simultaneously, Kelvin elbowed him in the side and Xaria stepped on his foot, silencing him.

"Dey may be of use to us, and dis is de only way to find out. We don't have time to lose, Up," Taz urged. The Commander chewed his lip as he debated whether or not to pass Taz's recommendation. The three recruits watched him intently, each wondering what exactly Sector 326 was, and what they'd gotten themselves into. Taz raised an eyebrow expectantly, awaiting Up's response. Reluctantly, he nodded.

"Alright. Recommendation approved. Get 'em ready."

As Taz led them back into the hall, Xaria was able to catch the last phrase the Commander whispered before the doors sealed shut.

"Good luck, recruits."

* * *

Taz led them on a winding path through hallway after side hallway. Within minutes, the recruits had lost all sense of direction. Taz remained silent, even when Kelvin peppered her with questions.

"What's Sector 326? Why're we going there? What are our chances of actually, like, surviving?"  
"Kelvin, shut up," Xaria sighed, exasperated. "She's not going to tell us anything."  
They turned yet another corner, and nearly ran into Specs and Krayonder.

"For the last time, Krayonder, I won't let you slap my- oh, Lieutenant! May I ask where you're headed?" She noticed the recruits and squinted, pushing her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. "I see you're all conscious again. And you don't appear to be suffering any brain damage-"  
"Dey're going to Sector 326," Taz interrupted, cutting off Specs' rambling. Specs and Krayonder gasped simultaneously.  
"Sector 326? But that's, like, insane!" Krayonder exclaimed. "The point of no return, end of the road, make it or break it, man!" Taz glared at him, eyes blazing. Krayonder swallowed hard. The last time she'd looked at him that way, she'd ended up stabbing him.

"I mean… have fun, dudes," he said weakly, stepping behind Specs. Taz rolled her eyes and continued past them. After a moment's hesitation, Riker, Kelvin, and Xaria followed. Riker's heart was starting to pound faster, and he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Even Specs and Krayonder, two trained Starship Rangers, were afraid of whatever lay in store for them. What chance did they, three untrained recruits, stand of survival? None of them spoke, but he could tell Kelvin and Xaria were thinking the same thing. At last, Taz came to a stop in front of a set of steel doors. There was a keypad to the left of the doors, and a fingerprint scanner below the keypad. Taz scanned her right index finger and quickly punched in a series of numbers. Her back was to the recruits, blocking their view, and none of them could make out the numbers. The doors slid open with a faint _hiss_. All four of them entered the room. Riker's heart was pounding against his ribs like a sledgehammer, and he was certain the others must be able to hear it. All the color was fading from Kelvin's face. Xaria looked fairly calm at first glance, but closer inspection revealed her fists were clenched and her hands shaking. Riker tensed, expecting at any minute for the doors to slam shut behind them and some hideous creature to attack. To his surprise, neither happened. The room was a huge storage closet, packed floor to ceiling with weaponry. Zappers, knives, and guns of every shape and size covered the walls. Xaria gazed around in amazement, turning a complete 360 to take it all in. Kelvin glanced curiously at Taz.

"This is it? This is Sector 326?"  
"Choose one weapon." Taz ignored his question, just as she'd ignored all of his other questions. There was a twinge of something in her voice. Something like… remorse? Regret?

"Any weapon?"  
"Sí."

Riker let his gaze drift about the room. A silver instrument caught his eye. It looked out of place among all the other heavy-duty equipment. He pulled it from its hook in the wall and turned it in his hands. It looked like a laser pointer. Why would a laser pointer be kept in a room like this? He turned to pose the question to Taz.

"Jou've all selected jour weapons. Dis way."  
"Wait, what? No, I-" Riker saw that both Xaria and Kelvin were clutching large, black zappers. Before he could protest, glass casings slid out of the walls, covering the remaining weaponry. A door on the far side of the room slid open. Riker's stomach dropped like a boulder. His curiosity was going to be the death of him. Instead of choosing a real weapon, he'd been distracted by a cheap little tool. Whatever they were about to face would take him out in a heartbeat. Xaria and Kelvin shot him pitying glances as Taz ushered them into the room. She didn't enter, but stood at the doorway. The lieutenant's face was impossible to read as they passed her. Riker was the last to enter the room. The second he crossed the threshold, the door slid shut behind him, closing them off from Taz. They were alone. Alone, untrained, and clueless as to what they were about to face. The trio stood shoulder to shoulder, each trembling in fear and anticipation.  
"What d'ya think it's gonna be?" Kelvin whispered.  
And then, from the other side of the room, it appeared out of the shadows.

Kelvin screamed.

Xaria screamed.

Riker screamed.

In an instant, it was upon them.

**NEXT CHAPTER: There is a reason Sector 326 is dreaded by all of the Rangers, even Commander Up himself. Xaria, Kelvin, and Riker are about to figure out why. Firsthand.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I must apologize for how long it's been since I last posted. This chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones have been, so thank you for bearing with me and sticking around to read this silly little story.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a fanfic based off of Team StarKid's musical, Starship. This fanfic takes place after the end of the show, as a continuation.** **I do not own any of these characters except for the recruits, and any and all credit goes to the StarKids themselves.**

The three recruits dove out of the way not a second too soon. The beast flew over their heads and crashed head-first into the steel-plated wall.  
"The hell is it?" Kelvin yelled, wide-eyed.

"Does it matter?" Xaria retorted, raising her zapper. "Just shoot the damn thing!" Riker was frozen where he stood, petrified at the sight of their opponent. It was gigantic; sixty feet tall at least. Only then did he realize how large the room was. The monster's head didn't even brush the ceiling. The creature regained its balance and turned, snarling, to face them. It was a squirrel. A gargantuan, albino squirrel.  
It shook its head, dazed from the impact of ramming into the wall.  
"Looks like you two have something in common, eh Rike?" Kelvin teased, unable to resist a joke even in the face of imminent death by giant woodland creature.

"Aim for the eyes," Xaria snapped. She fired her zapper rapidly, the green lasers catching the squirrel square in the face. It howled and retreated, covering its muzzle with its paws. She shot the two boys a scathing glare.  
"Thanks for the help, guys. Couldn't have done it without you."  
"My zapper's, like, broken or something! It won't fire!" Kelvin shot back. His voice wavered, and there was a clear note of fear embedded in it. Xaria rolled her eyes.  
"Did you set it to pew?"  
"What?"  
"The panel on the side?"  
"Oh. Oh, yeah." He tapped the panel, and there was a faint click. He tried firing again, and, fortunately for Kelvin, a blue laser shot out. Unfortunately for Riker, it shot straight at his face. He ducked just in time, and even so the laser nicked the top of his head.  
"Seriously, dude?"  
"Sorry, man," Kelvin apologized sheepishly.  
"It's fine, it's fine. Where'd that… thing go?"  
The trio stood back-to-back in a circle, each scanning their section of the room with their eyes, searching for their attacker. It was nowhere to be seen. It had seemingly vanished into thin air.  
"How'd we manage to lose a fifty-foot tall rodent?" Xaria muttered to herself under her breath. They stood in silence for several moments, each tense and ready to jump out of the way at a moment's notice. Then, Xaria noticed a slight disturbance in the air, like a heat wave. But an atmosphere was necessary for a heat wave, and there would be none aboard the ship…

"Duck!"  
The boys obeyed instantly, without hesitation. A huge, club-like paw swung over their heads. While they escaped the blunt of the blow, they weren't quite fast enough. The monster's razor-sharp claws caught Kelvin in the shoulder, He cried out in pain and clutched his arm. Warm, crimson blood was already soaking his shirt and dripping through his fingers.

"It can camouflage? Like a Dead Goddamn chameleon? Of effin' _course_ it can!"

"It needs time to change colors to match its surroundings. And look, it can only hold the pattern for a short time," Xaria said quickly. As they watched, the pattern was already starting to fade. The creature was slowly returning to its snowy-white pigment.

"Kelvin, shoot!" Xaria yelled as she fired another round. The colossal animal's back was to them, and the lasers had little effect.

"Kinda hard to do with one arm!" he barked back, cringing in agony. Riker could do nothing but stand over his friend, helplessly watching as the bloodstain spread farther across his shirt.

"Xaria, he's losing too much! We have to help him!"  
Xaria lowered her zapper, jaw clenched in frustration.

"Unless you know of some way to make his blood clot faster, there's nothing we can do. We gotta kill this piece of shit-" she jabbed her zapper in the squirrel's direction "Before it rips us all to pieces. If he can't use his zapper, take the damn thing and use it yourself, Riker!" Riker fumbled with the zapper's strap, trying to pull it over Kelvin's head without jolting his shoulder. He wasn't fast enough. The squirrel had returned to its normal coloring, and was towering above Xaria, who continued shooting to little avail. The lasers seemed to simply bounce off the creature's pelt, and Xaria was at the wrong angle to reach its eyes. With one swing of its massive paw, it swatted her easily aside. She hit the wall and lay motionless. Riker fumbled frantically with the strap of Kelvin's zapper as the beast grew closer, but it was twisted around the boy's arm. It was no use. He dove out of the way as another furry paw took a swipe. Before he could get back to his feet, a cold claw hooked him by the shirt and hoisted him into the air. He found himself dangling fifty feet in the air, face-to-face with the largest, most adorable animal he'd ever seen. Well, it _would_ have been adorable if it wasn't trying to mutilate them. The squirrel stared at him with its large, intelligent black eyes, each as large as Riker himself. The blond-haired boy swallowed. This was it. If anyone had ever told him he'd be eaten by a giant rodent, he'd have laughed in their face. Yet, here he was.  
Then, he remembered the weapon he'd accidentally chosen. A bit of hope sparked in his chest. He reached in his pocket and drew out what had seemed to be just a laser pointer. There, on the tip, was a small silver button.  
"Please be a lightsaber, please be a lightsaber, please Dead God be a lightsaber!" he prayed.

He pushed the button.

A small, red dot shone from the tip of the device, and Riker's heart sank. It was a laser pointer. A plain, useless laser pointer. He aimed it at the floor, hoping against hope that maybe, MAYBE it was at least an actual laser.

Nope.

The metal floor didn't melt or burn or bubble. Riker was about to die, and all he had was a little red light. He looked up at the big black eyes again, but this time they were fixated not on him, but something below. Riker glanced down, following its gaze. Xaria was unconscious on one side of the room, and Kelvin was staring helplessly up at Riker on the opposite side of the room. But the squirrel was staring straight down. The only thing there was…

"No way," Riker breathed. He tilted the laser pointer, moving the light slightly to the left. The monster's gaze followed. He tilted it again, to the right this time, and again the eyes followed.

"You want the light?" Riker asked, speaking to the animal as if it were a dog. A colossal, apartment building-sized dog. "Put me down and you can have the light." The animal looked from the light to Riker, then back to the light. "C'mon. There's a good mutant squirrel. Just set me down. There you go."  
The animal seemed to understand. Whether it was his words or just his tone, Riker didn't care. All that mattered was that the beast responded. It set Riker down gently enough, and then crouched down until it was eye-level with him once again. Its tail was wagging excitedly. Riker flicked his wrist, sending the dot of light across the room. The squirrel gave chase and pounced on it, but Riker moved it away at the last moment. Nose twitching in curiosity, the animal spun around and chased the dot around the room as Riker switched directions. This little game went on for several minutes, and Riker was careful to keep the light far away from Kelvin and Xaria, in case the squirrel overshot one of its pounces. The creature was beginning to get exhausted, and running slower and slower. Eventually, it stopped giving chase all together. It padded up to Riker on all fours, nuzzled him with such force that he was bowled over, and curled up in a ball with its tail around its nose. Riker slowly and cautiously extended a hand and touched the snowy white fur. It was unnaturally soft and silky. The squirrel purred softly in its sleep as Riker stroked it. A large circle appeared in the floor around the animal, and Riker stepped back. A gigantic glass case rose from the floor and covered the slumbering animal, before retracting into the floor and bringing the creature with it. Just like that, the recruits were alone again. Riker stumbled over to Kelvin, numb with shock.

"Dude, we just… We fought a giant… A giant squirrel."  
The boys looked dumbly at each other before breaking out in laughter. They were hysterical, mentally drained, and Kelvin was light-headed from all the blood he was losing. The full absurdity of what had taken place was too much for them. Riker was shaking violently, and his vision began to go black, He didn't try to fight it, and simply slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Xaria woke up in the infirmary with Kelvin and Riker sitting on the edge of her cot.

"Ah, and she lives!" Kelvin chirped cheerfully. He was wearing a clean, plain white shirt, and the bleeding had stopped. Xaria sat up, and her head started to spin. The boys steadied her until her vision righted itself. She tenderly touched her head, and felt the soft fibers of a bandage wrapped all the way around it.

"What happened?" she croaked. All three recruits blinked in surprise at the raspiness of her voice. Xaria tried again.

"What happened?" her voice was fairly normal this time, though still a bit strained.

"Do you remember any of it?" Riker prompted.

"Well, yeah, there was..." her brow furrowed as she struggled to remember what had happened when she was last conscious.

"I remember... I remember a huge... Squirrel? But no, it couldn't be..."

"Oh, it was. It knocked you out, and Riker took care of it all by himself." Kelvin explained. He added, slightly bitterly, "And I did nothing, as usual."

"C'mon, Kel, that's not true," Riker argued. "You- um, well... If you hadn't been hit, I'd never have used my laser, and Apollo would've ripped the three of us to shreds."

Kelvin snorted in disgust.

"Yeah. That was a big help."

Xaria stared at them blankly.

"Who's Apollo?"

"The squirrel," the boys answered together. Xaria stared at them in disbelief.

"A giant squirrel tried to kill us, and you _named_ it?"

"Riker did. They're tight."

The look Xaria gave Riker was so full of amazement and respect that he bowed his head in embarrassment.

"How?" Xaria finally asked. Riker pulled the laser pointer from his pocket.

"What's it do?"

"Absolutely nothing. It's exactly what it looks like; a laser pointer."

To demonstrate, Riker pushed the button at the tip and made the red light dance across the floor.

"Apollo loved it. He's just like a kitten at heart. Except that he's a colossal, camouflaging, mutant squirrel, and not really like a kitten at all."

Xaria sank back on the pillows she was resting against. It was too much to take in all at once. And it sounded completely ridiculous.

'Hey, Mom. Second day of recruitment camp was awesome. Without any training experience, I had to fight a squirrel. It knocked me out while my friend took it down with a laser pointer.'

She was furious with herself for being so weak. One blow from that massive paw had taken her down. A one-hit KO from a squirrel. Fantastic. If it weren't for Riker and an unbelievable streak of luck, they'd all be dead now.

Kelvin broke her train of thought and self-resentment.

"On the plus side, we got to keep the weapons." He nodded to the foot of Xaria's cot, where the zapper she'd used was lying. She sat up, more slowly this time to prevent another spell of dizziness, and lifted the zapper onto her lap. She ran her hand over it, memorizing every niche and nook in the design. After a few moments, she looked up at her friends.

"What now?"

"Why hello there, recruits! How're we all feeling?" Riker and Kelvin turned to see Commander Up standing in the doorway.

"Good to see you're all alive and in one piece!"

The Commander was genuinely relieved that they were all okay. The idea of sending the three of them, without any prior training, to Sector 326 had seemed preposterous, but he trusted Taz's judgment. As usual, she had been correct. Then Kelvin asked the question that had been nagging all three recruits.

"Why'd you do it? Why'd you put us through that?" Up's shoulders sagged slightly, and his face darkened. Kelvin was sure he would leave the room without answering. To the shaggy-haired boy's surprise, the Commander took a seat on the cot beside Xaria's. He patted his lap.

"One of you lads might want to take a seat here. This isn't gonna sound pretty, but everything seems a bit brighter from on top of a lap."

"No thanks," Kelvin and Riker chorused quickly. Xaria had to turn her head to hide the smirk she was attempting to stifle. The Commander took a deep breath.

"Alright, you three deserve to know the truth. Dead God knows you've been through enough these last 48 hours."

The trio shared nervous glances, bracing themselves for whatever it was Up was about to impart with them.

"You young 'uns familiar with the tale of Bug?" Up began.

"Vaguely," Riker nodded.

"Well, he's one of the finest Rangers I've ever laid eyes on. And one tough son of a bitch. We got a message from Bug a while back, and he said he had vital information about the G.L.E.E. We set on a course for Bug World. Last week, he went missing. Simply vanished outta thin air. His girlfriend, our former Schience Officer, contacted us to report his disappearance. Poor girl's devastated."

"February, right? Her name is February?" Xaria asked. Up nodded.

"Yup. Complete airhead. Anywho, we turned the ship around and started searching for recruits. Now we're-"

"Whoa, wait, hang on. Hold the video phone," Kelvin interrupted. "Why do you need us recruits? If you need to find Bug, why not just enlist the help of other Starship Rangers?"

"We don't know who we can trust at the G.L.E.E. any more, especially if they're responsible for Bug's disappearance. Whenever and wherever we find him, chances are there'll be a tussle or two. The other Rangers aboard this ship, myself included, won't be able to take that on alone."

"And the point of feeding us to the squirrel was...?" Xaria asked.

"His name's Apollo," Riker reminded her.

She ignored the comment entirely. Up nodded slowly.

"Apollo, hm? That's a mighty fine name. Ah, yes. Miss Xaria, the point was to test you, to see if you three have what it takes to be Starship Rangers."

"With absolutely no training whatsoever?"

"...Yup."

"Are you crazy?" Xaria didn't bother to hide her displeasure with the situation.

Up was silent for a minute. Then he nodded vigorously.

"Yep, a lil' bit. Taz said you three had potential, and she doesn't say that about just anyone."

The recruits let that sink in. Taz, the most badass of Starship Rangers, thought they had potential. She had known they'd survive the ordeal with Apollo.

"And if- Well, never mind. We'll get to that later. For now-" the Commander stood and clapped his hands, "We've got to assign you mentors."

There it was again. Up was withholding something, not giving them the whole story.

"You'll begin an extensive training process with your mentor, and you three will bunk together in quarters separate from the other recruits. You'll eat and shower from them separately as well." Kelvin raised a hand.

"Um, aren't the other recruits gonna think we're, like, assholes?"

"With the training you'll be going through, not likely." Up replied, scratching the stubble on his chin.

"It's that brutal? Lovely." Kelvin grimaced, not particularly looking forward to the prospect.

"Alright, now, let's see... Xaria, you'll train with Taz-"

The girl's eyes burned with ambition and anticipation, and Riker knew immediately they'd be a good fit for apprentice and mentor. Taz would push her ruthlessly, and Xaria would meet the challenge every time.

"Kelvin, you'll work with Krayonder-"

Kelvin grinned. He'd get along with his laid-back mentor just fine.

"And Riker, you'll stick with me."

Riker was dumbstruck. Up, _Commander_ Up, the man he'd looked up to since he was eight years old, was to be his mentor.

Up chuckled at the look of bewilderment on Riker's face. He ruffled the boy's white-blonde hair and made his way for the door.

"Well, I'll let you three rest up a bit. One of the other Rangers'll stop by later to take you to your bunk. Welcome aboard." And then he left, leaving the three apprentices by themselves. They stared at each other, wondering what the future held in store.

Then, Xaria summed it all up in two words.

"Some day."

**NEXT CHAPTER: While the trio was dealing with Apollo in Sector 326, the Rangers had some troubles of their own to deal with. A clue was discovered that could help locate Bug, but something doesn't add up.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: It seems that I'm taking longer and longer to post these, and I apologize for it. It's difficult to find enough time to just sit down and write these, though the stories have already played out in my head. Thank you all so, so much for your kind words and enthusiasm for this fic.**

**This is a fanfic based off of Team StarKid's musical, Starship. This fanfic takes place after the end of the show, as a continuation.** **I do not own any of these characters except for the recruits, and any and all credit goes to the StarKids themselves.**

As the doors to Sector 326 slid shut, Taz glimpsed one last look at the recruits. They were absolutely terrified. The girl would be okay; she was a quick-thinker with strong natural instincts. Kelvin might survive if he listened to her and fired like mad. But Riker... Riker was doomed. In a room full of zappers, he had selected a laser pointer, of all things. A _laser pointer_. Taz knew he hadn't meant to choose it, but he had done so inadvertently. She didn't even know why the cheap little trinket was included among all the heavy-duty weaponry. But if he stayed out of his friends' way, then maybe, just _maybe_, he could escape with his life. The boys' fates rested on Xaria's shoulders.

Taz had been in that situation many a time, and it was not a pleasant position to be in. In Sector 326, no less. Taz's own experience in the Sector, years ago, had left her hospitalized for two days. She did not envy the recruits at the moment. She had seen the current beast being loaded onto the ship several months ago, and it was terrifying. If they let their guard down for even a second-

"Commander Up requests your presence, Lieutenant," a voice behind Taz stated, pulling her from her thoughts. She turned to face the Ranger who had spoken. He was several inches taller than her, as most people were, with flaming orange hair that stuck up all over the place. He appeared to be in his early twenties.

"Up sent you himself?"

"Yessir. Ma'am! Yes _ma'am_!" the boy's eyes widened in mortification at his slip-up. A wry smile of amusement crossed Taz's face as he stumbled over his words in an effort to correct himself.

"Como te llamas?"

"My name? Um, Penn, ma'am."

"Penn?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Alright, Ginger, wait here until one of de senior Rangers comes to relieve jou."

Penn saluted.

"Yes, Lieutenant." Taz nodded and walked past him, making her way for Up's quarters. The boy watched her go. As soon as she was out of earshot, he muttered bitterly to himself, 'Sir? Yes sir? You're lucky she didn't blast your head off right then!" With a sigh, he planted himself in front of the doors, mentally berating himself for looking like a fool in front of his Lieutenant.

* * *

With the exception of Taz, all the senior Rangers were gathered in Up's quarters. Tootsie and Mega-Girl were snuggled up together on one of the couches, and Specs and Krayonder were sitting side-by-side, and arguing on the other couch. Up sat on an ottoman between the two, twiddling his thumbs.

"C'mon, Specs! Just a small jetpack?"

"No, Krayonder! It wouldn't support your body weight, and you would die."

"Okay, so how about a full-sized jetpack?"

"No!"

"C'mon, man!" Just then, Taz entered the room, and Up perked up noticeably. "Taz! How're the recruits holding up?"

"Unless dey've been killed in de five minutes dey've been in dere, fine. Dey should live to see another day."

"They are human, and therefore it is most improbable that they should survive such an ordeal without proper training. You have sentenced them to death, dwarf," Mega-Girl smugly remarked. Taz clenched her fists tightly.

"Dey _will_ survive, jou piece of shit-"

As usual, Up ended the argument before it went too far.

"Mega-Girl, why don't you go wait for 'em? They'll need to be transferred to the infirmary if- er, _when_- they succeed." Mega-Girl complied with his request, shooting Taz one more smirk as she passed. As soon as the doors slid closed behind her, Up clapped his hands together. "Alright, team, let's get down to business. We'll fill Mega-Girl in when she gets back. We received a call from February today, sayin' she found what could be a clue as to Bug's whereabouts."

"May I inquire as to what this clue might be, Commander?" Specs asked, readjusting her glasses as they slipped down the bridge of her nose yet again.

"Uh, well, we don't actually know." Up answered, shifting uncomfortably.

"Qué? Jou just said jou talked to her!"

"I know, Taz, I know. An' I did talk to her, but she didn't say what it was. All she said was that she had it." Taz sighed and waved him on.

"Continue."

"We'll reach Bug World in a couple of time cycles, and figure out what to do from there. Oh, an' February said she's bringing a friend along with her. And, um, again she wouldn't say who."

"So let me get dis straight," Taz began. "February es bringing an unknown object aboard de ship, as well as an unknown companion, and none of jou find dis de least bit suspicious?" The other Rangers looked at each other in silence, pondering her words for a moment. In unison they all shook their heads.

"Now, about those three recruits!" Up continued. "They'll need mentors once they get outta Sector 326. Krayonder, you'll mentor Kelvin-"

"Sweet, man!" Krayonder grinned. "...Which one's Kelvin?"

"The one that's not Riker and not a girl. Taz, you mentor Xaria and I'll take Riker." Taz nodded.

"What about de other recruits? I won't have time to train dem now."

"Hm..." Up rubbed the stubble on his jaw as he considered the situation.

"Tootsie, why don't you and Mega-Girl take care of that one? Specs, you just keep doin' what you're doin' for now. An' when we reach Bug World, I want all of you right back here. Taz'll escort February."

Satisfied with their new orders, the Rangers dispersed. In a few time cycles, they'd touch down on Bug World. And none of them knew what to expect.

* * *

February cupped a hand over her eyes, peering up at the sky. The Starship should have arrived already.

"February! February, look!" a voice beside her exclaimed. The former Science Officer followed her friend's gaze, and there it was, a small speck on the horizon, growing closer and closer even as they watched; a Starship. _Her_ Starship. She smiled at the sight of it, happy that she would soon be reunited with her old friends. The smile faded as a wave of sadness washed over her. She would be reunited with them only because Bug was missing. Her companion sensed her unhappiness, and nudged her comfortingly.

"If I know Bug, he's fine, wherever he is. And with the help of the other Starship Rangers, we'll find him and bring him home in no time," he reassured her. "But, um, we should probably run now," he added nervously. The Starship was nearly upon them. The two scrambled to avoid being trapped beneath the massive ship, and dove out of the way just in time. A cloud of dust billowed up, thickening the air. When it had cleared, February found herself staring up at the open doors of the ship she had once called home. A familiar figure strode down the ramp and stopped directly in front of her.

"Long time no see, eh chica?"

Taz offered her hand and helped February to her feet. The shorter Ranger raised an eyebrow upon noticing the Science Officer's companion, and February made a quick introduction.

"Taz, this is-"

* * *

Once again, the senior Rangers sat gathered in a semicircle in Up's quarters. All eyes were fixated on February as she spoke.

"A few days ago, Bug said he had to leave the Hive. Somebug had reported something spooky near Pincer's old hole, so Bug went to investigate. After a few time cycles, I started to get worried, and sent his friend Bumbly out to look for him. Bug was- nowhere to be found." The girl's voice began to waver, and she had to take a deep breath before she continued. "I went back to look with him, and Bug had- he was just... Gone."

"The Science Officer mentioned a clue," Mega-Girl reminded February. The girl wiped her eyes to rid herself of the tears threatening to overwhelm her.

"Yes, this was all we found." From out of her pocket she produced a dirty, torn piece of fabric.

"What is it?" Tootsie asked, scratching his head. February managed to rub some of the grime from the cloth, and handed it to Up.

"It's from his uniform," she explained, her voice still strained. "Some of the Hive members were able to re-create his human uniform. He never takes it off."

Up stared at the item he held in his hands. He chewed his lip thoughtfully.

"But this... Well this is the G.L.E.E. logo."

Taz spat on the floor in disgust at the mention of the G.L.E.E.. Their particular ship now functioned independently, and had been doing so ever since the discovery that it was the very Galactic League that nearly had them all killed.

"So we know Bug's missing in action," Krayonder thought aloud. "But like, what now, dudes? How're we s'pposed to find him?"

February looked over Krayonder's shoulder to the friend she'd brought along. He was hovering nervously by the back wall, and hadn't spoken a word the entire discussion.

"We- we have a theory," February sniffed, struggling to regain her composure. She beckoned to him, and he reluctantly joined the group, hovering over her shoulder.

"What's your name, son?" Up asked gently.

"Um- it's... I'm... Uh- Roach, sir. Roach."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Roach. And you know Bug?"

"He's my b- my best fr- friend, s-sir."

"You don't hafta be afraid of us," Tootsie beamed cheerfully. "Ain't nothing on this ship that'll hurt you." Roach smiled weakly, and gave an uncertain nod.

"I've never been on a Starship before," he admitted. It was very daunting to him, what with all the sliding doors and flasing lights and buttons. Bug World suddenly felt very far away. Specs was staring intently at him, and he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

"Your native tongue is the language of Bug World, correct?" she finally asked.

"Yes, but Bug- Bug and February- they taught me your language too. They taught most of the Hive, actually."

Specs leaned back in her seat, fascinated. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but Mega-Girl cut her off.

"This is irrelevate to the current conversation. What is this theory the Science Officer mentioned?"

February nodded to Roach, encouraging him to speak. He cleared his throat nervously and began.

"The Galactic League patch was the only part of Bug's uniform we found, but it was sewed on with silkworm string, which is nearly impossible to break. It never could've fallen off on its own. I- that is, we... We thought maybe it was a sign. From Bug. If he was- if he was kidnapped, he might've bitten it off and left it for us to find."

Up let Roach's words fully sink in before he spoke. "Now it becomes a question of whether or not Bug left this specific patch for a reason."

Roach cocked his head to the side. "You mean... You mean he might've been trying to tell us it was the Galactic League that took him? But that doesn't make sense! The Galactic League-"

"Es full of dickheads," Taz finished. "We don't work for dem any more." Roach was utterly confused, and with a sigh she patiently explained. "It was because of de Galactic League dat Junior, de little fart, tried to destroy jour Hive and take de Overqueen." Roach tensed up noticeably at the memory of what Junior had nearly done.

"Then it makes sense that the G.L.E.E. should be behind all this," Up reasoned. They all sat in silence for a long while, each one of them struggling to make sense of it all. Finally, February asked the question on everyone's mind.

"But why?"

No one had an answer.

**Next Chapter: As Riker, Kelvin, and Xaria begin their one-on-one training with their mentors and the senior Rangers struggle to discover Bug's location, tensions run high aboard the Starship, and some unlikely friendships may begin to forge**.


End file.
